Reasons I should not be allowed alone on the internet

I swore I wasn't going to turn this into a cooking blog.  How about the name "What's Walt Kowalski Eating Today" for the blog?

We had an excellent roast last night. I love my slow cooker.  I know, I know I have heard all the horror stories. 

Kitchen catches fire!
House burns down!
Cat gets third-degree burns!

I know there are the people out there that won't leave any appliance on if they aren't home. 

But the roast comes out so tender.  I threw the potatoes to boil in a pot while I showered, gave them a little smash when I got out, and dinner was ready.   It's too easy and I hate a tough roast.

Now I don't usually leave my dryer on when I leave the house.  Not to say that the dryer couldn't catch fire while it was running and I was at home.  Same with the dishwasher.  I often turn them on before we go to bed.  And for that matter, I've got a freezer, several fridges, multiple TVs and cable boxes plugged in and what about that hot water tank? 

Suddenly, the slow cooker is the smallest risk in the house.  I did read a good idea to put the slow cooker on a pizza stone.  I like that idea.  This way, after a few years of cooking in the same spot, the heat from the slow cooker doesn't hurt the countertop.  It's also something to do with my pizza stone, since I rarely use it. 

Every morning when I open my inbox there is a recipe waiting for me.  It's never just one recipe.  It's always an email full of beautiful pictures.  Pictures of food cooked just perfectly.  Food that is beckoning me. Click on me.  Click on me.  Click on meeeeee. 

Ok, ok, just one click.  Ok, just one more click.  Suddenly...3 hours later, my printer is humming and I have a stack of recipes and ideas for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks, dinner, and dessert.

Finding the time to experiment with all of these culinary masterpieces is a different story.

With autumn and Halloween here, the recipes sites are full of ideas using pumpkin and apple.  Here are today's recipes/ideas I just couldn't pass by. 

3-D Pumpkin Cookies

Ok here's the fun and cool part...when the cookies are assembled...

They can hold treats!

Or how about these Batty Buttermilk Biscuits

Or mini pumpkin pie cookies

Or severed finger cookies

 

Ok those are a little gross (sorry, Grammy), but very cool looking!

Will I ever make them?  I don't know.  But they are cute and good ideas to add to my arsenal. 

A few years back I made three "test cakes" for a friend getting married.  Each cake was a different flavor so she and her fiancé could decide which they wanted for their wedding cake.  It was close to Halloween, and once again the internet is my downfall, so put each one in a different icing costume. 

These were fun to make.  The mummy cracks me up.  They selected the traditional delicious almond cake.  Mummy decorations were not included.

Lately I've been lucky to get lettuce on a plate, without cat hair, and call it dinner before 9pm.  I'll get back to more advanced cooking and baking again soon.  Think of all the recipes I will have collected by then!